Friday, November 6, 2009

Barefoot Bloggers: Chicken Chili

Here is another good fall/winter recipe to wrap up the Barefoot Bloggers "Week with the Barefoot Contessa". I was originally going to make the Roasted Potato Leek soup but it had a few hard to get ingredients that I knew I would not be able to get at my normal grocery store so I went with the Chicken Chili.

The recipe was easy to put together. Once you get the main part of the chili cooking you roast the chicken in the oven. This gives it a lot better flavor than just cooking it in the pot with the Chili. I probably didn't wait long enough for the chicken to cool off to break it up for the chili. It reminded me of one of my first jobs at the Big Boy where I had to pull all the leftover chicken off the bone for soups and salads. I never wanted to wait until the chicken was cool enough then either.

I made the chili without the peppers since Lara won't eat peppers at all. I think it would have been a little better with the peppers but the chili was still very good and flavorful. When I normally make a chili I go for more complicated recipes where I have to roast peppers and they take a lot longer to make. I don't think this measures up to a recipe like that but I think it was very good for a chili you can make in two hours - definitely better than most restaurant chilies if you ask me.

Make sure to check out the Barefoot Bloggers website in the next week or so. She is going to create a round-up post showing what everyone made for this challenge.

Cook the onions in the oil over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and salt. Cook for 1 minute. Crush the tomatoes by hand or in batches in a food processor fitted with a steel blade (pulse 6 to 8 times). Add to the pot with the basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 35 to 40 minutes, until just cooked. Let cool slightly. Separate the meat from the bones and skin and cut it into 3/4-inch chunks. Add to the chili and simmer, uncovered, for another 20 minutes. Serve with the toppings, or refrigerate and reheat gently before serving.